Uric acid blood biochemical test to diagnose gout

The article was professionally consulted by MSc Do Thi Hoang Ha - Doctor of Biochemistry, Laboratory Department - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has 11 years of experience working in the field of clinical biochemistry.

Uric acid is an organic substance produced during the metabolism of purine bases from foods consumed daily and the degradation of nucleic acids by the body. Purines in food, when entering the body, will react with intestinal enzymes (mainly xanthin oxidase enzymes) to release uric acid, in addition, uric acid is also synthesized largely in the liver. Through uric acid test, especially blood uric acid index is an important parameter in the diagnosis of gout.

Uric acid is an organic acid soluble in the blood, filtered by the kidneys and mostly excreted in the urine, with a smaller part being eliminated through the gastrointestinal tract. When the body produces too much uric acid for some reason or because the kidneys are not able to filter it, it will lead to an increase in blood uric acid levels, causing a number of disorders in the body.
Besides, an increase in uric acid levels will lead to an increase in urate salt deposition in joints and soft tissues, which is the main cause of typical gout (an inflammatory response to gout). with deposition of urate crystals). Through the serum uric acid test, it will help to quantify uric acid in the blood, thereby helping to diagnose and treat related diseases in a timely and most reasonable manner.

Diagnosis and follow-up of gout. Monitoring and diagnosis with conditions of swelling, pain, arthritis. Monitor the health of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Check kidney function after trauma, diagnose kidney dysfunction. Check for the causes of kidney stones. The test is useful in monitoring the severity and prognosis of patients with severe gestational toxicity (eclampsia and pre-eclampsia).

Gout is a metabolic disorder related to the deposition of urate crystals in bone and joint tissues due to excessive uric acid levels in the blood (due to genetic predisposition) and decreased renal excretion of uric acid. It is a disease for which there is no vaccine. However, gout is a benign disease and can be controlled with drugs as well as prevent exacerbations by changing the diet, and when detected early and treated promptly, the cure rate is very high. Conversely, when the disease is in the chronic stage, the ability to recover requires more time.
Blood uric acid index is a decisive factor in the diagnosis of gout. Normal blood uric acid:
Men: 208 - 428 umol/L.
Female: 154 - 357 umol/L.
When blood uric acid levels are below normal, it will not cause urate crystal deposition. In contrast, when uric acid levels exceed the normal threshold, it is easy to increase the risk of urate crystal deposition in some tissues and organs, especially in the joints, causing gout.
In the early stages, gout almost does not cause any signs to recognize. Most gout patients are only discovered when entering the chronic stage with frequent joint pain, or the appearance of lumps (tophi granules) in the joints and adjacent organs.

In order not to affect the results of the blood uric acid index test, the patient should not eat or drink for 8-10 hours before the test, do not take drugs, supplements, vitamins or any herbal products. Except as directed by your doctor, do not drink alcohol, cocaine or drugs before the test.
Uric acid test is a simple test, it only takes a few minutes for a technician to draw blood. Blood is taken from a vein, sent to a laboratory, and then measured in the laboratory. The uric acid test is quite safe, not dangerous, but there is still a very small percentage of common risks when performing blood collection operations such as:
Soreness, itching of the skin at the blood collection site. Bleed. The patient feels dizzy or may faint. Hematoma under the skin or bruising. Infection of the blood collection site.

Blood uric acid levels are higher than normal, indicating that the body is producing too much uric acid or due to a decrease in the kidneys' ability to excrete it, this can be an alarm sign of some diseases such as:
Diabetes Inflammation recurrent acute joint pain (often associated with gout). Hypoparathyroidism or parathyroid dysfunction, hypothyroidism. Renal dysfunction or acute renal failure, kidney stones. Multiple myeloma or plasma cell cancer of the bone marrow, a bone marrow disorder (leukemia), metastatic cancer. Diet too much purines. Toxic pregnancy (pre-eclampsia or eclampsia). Acute alcoholism Lactic acidosis. Obesity or excessive fasting.

In some cases, lower than normal uric acid levels can be a sign of a number of health problems such as:
Wilson's disease - an inherited condition. Fanconi syndrome - rare kidney disorder. Habit of drinking too often. Liver or kidney dysfunction. Deficiency also provides purines through the diet. Syndrome of inappropriate urinary hormone secretion (SIADH). Large extremities Celiac disease Hodgkin's disease Using drugs that increase the excretion of uric acid through the kidneys (cancer drugs, allopurinol, high-dose salicylate ..) Periodic health check-up helps to detect disease early, thereby have a treatment plan that achieves optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy, including:
Health checkup package diamond general health check-up package Vip special health check-up package Comprehensive general health check-up package Standard general health check-up package Patient's examination results will be returned to your home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.